Reflected in the Waves
by Sabrina Bartlett
Summary: Caroline Forbes boards the Titanic with her mother and fiancé, dreading her marriage when they arrive back in America. She never expects to fall in love, and especially not with the mysterious Klaus Mikaelson. She tries to keep her attraction a secret, but it turns out Klaus is keeping secrets of his own...and he's not the only one. (Klaroline Titanic A/U)
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer:** _**The Vampire Diaries **_**and all characters are the property of their creators. I own nothing and make no profit from writing this. Writing fanfiction is one way I hope to show appreciation for and spread the word about this show. **

"Oh, isn't it incredible, Caroline?" Elizabeth Forbes exclaimed, looking up at the massive ship before her.

Caroline found herself following her mother's gaze. It was all she could do to keep her mouth from opening wide in awe. It _was_ incredible, just the sheer _size_ of it. It was difficult to believe that she would be living in it for the next several days.

"It is," she said finally, her voice soft. There was something glorious about it; speaking too loudly would feel disrespectful, somehow. Still, her mother's excitement was contagious. She wished that the line would move more quickly so she could get on the ship already, lean against the balcony rails and wave goodbye to Southampton as she sailed away.

"It will be good to be home again," said Caroline's fiancé, Tyler Lockwood. His father was the mayor of their hometown of Mystic Falls in Virginia.

"Yes," Elizabeth agreed, "but do not forget that we will first be touring New York for a few days."

"Of course," Tyler said. He rested his hand on Caroline's shoulder, and she turned to look into his eyes as he said, "Forgive me if I am overly excited to marry your daughter."

Elizabeth blushed, as though Tyler were paying _her_ a compliment. Caroline rolled her eyes, after turning around so neither Tyler or her mother could see her. Honestly, sometimes Caroline wondered why _she_ should be the one to marry Tyler when her mother seemed so completely infatuated with him.

As for Caroline's own thoughts about her fiancé? Well, he was handsome enough, with dark brown hair and brooding eyes the colour of milk chocolate. His mouth was nearly always quirked up in a cocky grin. He had good reason to be cocky; he came from one of the richest families in Mystic Falls.

It was this money that had caused Elizabeth to select him as a potential suitor for her daughter, and wasn't she just _ecstatic_ when it turned out he had had his eyes on the blond middle-class young lady for a while now.

Without Tyler, Caroline and her mother would likely be standing in the second-class line right now, instead of the line for first class in which they currently waited. In other words, Tyler had been their ticket for the _Titanic_, though not without Caroline's somewhat reluctant help.

Yes, Tyler was handsome and wealthy, but his personality left much to be desired. Caroline had nearly had it with his overly inflated ego. He threw his money around constantly, usually in attempts to impress Caroline with expensive gowns and jewellery. It all seemed so generic, though, and although they had been courting for nearly two years now, Tyler had never shown any evidence of actually _knowing_ whom she really was. All he seemed to know of her was her beauty.

"No need to apologise for _that,_" Elizabeth said, laughing in a manner that made her sound like a puppy lovesick child. "I know the feeling is mutual. Isn't that right, Caroline?"

Caroline turned around to smile at her mother, and then at her fiancé. "Of course, Mother." She hoped that neither one of them could hear the bitterness in her voice.

The line began moving, and the first-class passengers started shuffling forward. Tyler's family servants pushed their bags on carts, and Tyler took Caroline's hand, leading her toward the ship. Her gaze was drawn upward, her neck craned as far back as it could go. The next seven days aboard the _Titanic_ would sure be luxurious.

Then she remembered it was only seven days. A few days after that would be spent in New York, but then it would be back to Mystic Falls, where only a couple more days would remain until her marriage.

She sighed loudly, feeling ungrateful. Any other girl would be happy to marry him. He just was not right for her.

He heard her sigh. "Something wrong?" he asked.

She shook her head quickly. "Oh, no. Just tired of standing."

He gave her hand a squeeze. "We'll be on the ship soon enough, drinking champagne in the dining hall."

She forced a smile. "Sounds great."

###

"It's not nearly as luxurious as I imagined it to be," Rebekah Mikaelson whined from her perch on the blue velvet sofa.

"It's the grandest ship that currently exists, Rebekah," her brother Klaus responded from where he stood by the fireplace, admiring the painting that hung above it. He reached out to straighten the frame just a bit. "It does not get any more luxurious than this."

Rebekah sat up, pouting, crossing her trouser-clad legs. "Well, then, I find that rather pathetic. We've lived in _castles_, Nik. Of course this could never compare."

Klaus gave her a smirk. "Castles can't float on water, sister. This is the nicest way to get us to America, we are traveling in the finest of style, and we didn't need to pay a penny. Now, would you like to go back on deck to watch the launch?"

Rebekah sighed, staring at her fingers. "Not particularly."

Klaus walked over to her and sat beside her on the sofa. "Come now. I will let you choose dinner."

She smiled slowly at him, the thought of blood revealing her fangs, her skin growing paler and her eyes turning red. "You're very good as persuasion, Nik," she conceded, standing up. "Let's go then, shall we?"

Klaus stood up as well, taking her arm and leading her out of their chambers. Out in the corridor were other travellers who had had the same idea. Klaus and Rebekah moved effortlessly past them all.

Suddenly, a door opened and a young woman turned out of the room, walking right into Klaus. She stepped back, startled. "Oh, God, I'm sorry!" she exclaimed, staring down at her feet. "I didn't expect it to be so. . . ." Her voice trailed off as she looked up at his face. He flashed her a smile and she blinked quickly, looking absolutely mesmerized.

"Busy," she finished breathlessly.

"Not at all," Klaus said smoothly. "It was my fault, really."

The woman rolled her eyes and laughed breathily. "That's kind of you to say, but no, it wasn't. Anyway, I need to go. Sorry, again."

She took of down the hall, her heels making a muffled sound on the carpet as she made her way to a different door. She knocked and was let in after just a brief wait.

"Did you see the flush in her cheeks?" Rebekah mused as they continued down the hall. "I'd love to take a bite out of her. Wouldn't you, Nik?"

"Oh, yes," Klaus agreed.

Although perhaps not in the way his sister was suggesting.

###

**A/N: Hope you enjoyed the first chapter! I will update as often as I can, so long as school work does not completely drown me. Thanks for reading!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: **_**The Vampire Diaries**_** and all characters are the property of their owners. I own no elements taken from the show. I have also borrowed some elements from James Cameron's film **_**Titanic**_**. I do not own any of those either. I make no profit from this work.**

**A/N: Wow, I am so overwhelmed by the incredible response that the first chapter received! That has been the encouragement I needed to get a new update up so quickly! Thank you to everyone who read, reviewed, favourite, and/or followed. This story has been really fun to write so far. Happy reading!**

Caroline, Tyler, and Elizabeth stood against the rails of the starboard side of the ship, waving goodbye to Southampton and all the people below who were waiting excitedly to see the start of the _Titanic_'s maiden voyage. It was a huge moment, but Caroline could hardly absorb it all because she was so aware of the heavy feeling of Tyler's arm around her waist. Maybe once she was actually and truly his he would no longer feel the need to act so possessive of her in public places.

Soon, the ship was moving. It started with a lurch, and Caroline actually found herself reaching for Tyler in order to steady herself. He laughed and placed his hands on both of her hips, keeping her in place. More touching was actually the opposite of what she wanted, but she was grateful for the feeling of security.

Before long, the ship was out in the open ocean, the shore and people becoming farther away with each passing minute. Eventually, the crowd on the deck dispersed. Caroline, Tyler, and Elizabeth stayed longer than most.

They found seats on the deck and watched the water pass them by. Ship staff served them tea and biscuits at around two o'clock. It was a beautiful spring afternoon, the sun warm on Caroline's face. They whiled away most of the afternoon on deck, taking walks and admiring the view from each side of the ship. It was a truly magnificent vessel, and Caroline felt genuinely blessed to be a part of its maiden voyage, even if she was apparently going to be spending most of it holding Tyler's hand.

The sun grew lower in the sky, casting longer and longer shadows, until it was more evening than afternoon. "Let's go back to our rooms and dress for dinner," Tyler suggested, taking Caroline's arm.

"Oh, that sounds nice!" Elizabeth exclaimed before Caroline could even answer. "They are supposed have the finest food imaginable on this ship." To Elizabeth, Caroline knew, the best thing about travelling with Tyler was getting to pretend that she belonged to a higher class than she really did. It never failed to both frustrate and amuse her daughter.

"Sounds good to me," Caroline said, allowing her fiancé to lead her below, back to their rooms. She and her mother were sharing chambers, while Tyler had his own. Were it not for the sake of propriety and keeping up appearances, it is likely that Elizabeth would have gladly shoved her daughter into Tyler's suite without a second thought.

Tyler escorted the women to their chambers before heading back down the hall to his own. The door had barely been shut five seconds when Elizabeth collapsed on the couch with an exaggerated sigh.

"Goodness, I didn't realize how completely exhausted I am until now." The line sounded rehearsed. "Must be all that sun. I think I will have to skip on joining you for dinner tonight. You two enjoy yourselves."

She was trying hard to be convincing, but Caroline could see the mischievous glint in her mother's eyes. There was no way that Elizabeth would miss the chance to dine like the wealthy did. She was trying to do Tyler a favour by giving him and Caroline some alone time.

Still, Caroline forced a sympathetic smile. "Okay, Mother. You get some rest, and order food if you get hungry, okay?"

"Of course, sweetheart. You should go get changed. Maybe that light blue gown of yours? I know Tyler loves you in blue, and it would suit the ocean setting."

Caroline sighed heavily. "Right."

She did end up changing into the blue gown, and then waited in the parlour area for Tyler to come back for her. Elizabeth retired to her bedroom in order to give the couple some privacy. Within minutes there was a knock on her door, and she opened it to reveal Tyler, standing in the hall dressed in a navy suit.

"You look gorgeous," he said. "And I think I have the perfect thing to go with your gown."

He moved the hand he'd had behind his back in front of him, revealing a square, black box. He handed it to Caroline, and she took it, not all that surprised at yet another piece of jewellery. "Thank you," she said, and she opened the box.

"Oh, my God," she said, her eyes growing wide at the sight inside. It was a necklace, with a large blue gemstone in the shape of a heart on the end of it. It wasn't exactly a personal gift, but she could not deny its beauty. "It's beautiful. Is it a sapphire?"

Tyler shook his head excitedly. "Blue diamond."

That did not exactly sound cheap.

He gestured with his hand for her to turn around, and she did, passing him the necklace. She took her hair in her hands and lifted it away from her neck, and the pendant came to rest right between her breasts, a heavy heart upon her own heavy heart.

She turned around again once the clasp was closed, and saw him offering his hand. She took it in hers.

"Is your mother coming?" Tyler asked, confused, looking behind her into the empty parlour.

Caroline shook her head. "She's too tired from all the sun this afternoon."

"Another time, then," he said, and they began to make their way toward the dining room.

###

"Caroline, you remember Stefan and Damon Salvatore, and Damon's wife, Elena?" Tyler asked as they sat down at a table which was—to Caroline's surprise—already partially occupied.

Caroline nodded politely. She did remember them. Stefan and Damon Salvatore were extremely affluent businessmen back in Mystic Falls, having inherited their father's leather manufacturing company after his death a few years ago. Elena Salvatore (née Gilbert) was an orphan who had already had more than enough money—thanks to her parents' inheritance—long before she married a Salvatore. Caroline had seen all three of them at balls back home, which she had only begun attending after the start of her courtship with Tyler.

"Yes, of course," she said. "How nice to see you all.

The food that was served was magnificent, as Elizabeth had told them it would be. The first course was a green salad with a light vinaigrette, followed by oysters on the half-shell. The main was pasta with a light tomato and olive oil sauce and yet more seafood—mussels, this time.

Strangely enough, Caroline wished it was just Tyler and her dining alone. At least then there might be conversation that she could participate in. Instead, this was just like the other business dinners that she had gone to with Tyler. She and Elena simply sat there, as the women usually did, listening to the men drone on about business and politics, neither of which, she had thought, were subjects for polite dinner conversation.

Dessert had not even been brought out yet when Caroline decided she had had enough. She placed a hand on Tyler's shoulder. "I'm not feeling well. Would you mind if I returned to my suite?"

Tyler raised his napkin to wipe some pasta sauce from the corners of his mouth. "Of course, I'll talk you back now." He started to push away from the table.

"Oh, no, I'll be fine, seriously," Caroline protested quickly. "I'd hate to drag you away like that. I know my way back."

Tyler did not need much convincing. He settled back in his seat. "Alright, then. I'll see you in the morning. Sweet dreams, Care."

"Good night," she said to him. Then she turned my attention to the table as a whole. "Enjoy the rest of your evening."

She left the dining room, but instead of going back to her rooms, she walked out onto the deck of the boat, walking until she reached the bow. What she wanted right then was some fresh air, and to be away from boring conversations and a fiancé who bought her lavish gifts but didn't really know a thing about her.

She went right up to the rails, climbing the first one and leaning over the edge to look down at the water, broken by the point of the ship. It was dizzying to watch, but the spray of the salt water felt wonderful on her face. It was a cool evening, and she tugged tighter at the shawl around her shoulders, but it was not quite enough to keep the chill away.

Suddenly, she felt heavy fabric fall to rest against her shivering frame. Startled, she turned and stumbled, which could have ended very badly had she not been steadied by strong hands on her upper arms. She looked down to see a man's coat draped over her shoulders, and then looked up to see the owner of that coat.

It was the man she had bumped into in the corridor earlier that day. Once again, she found herself completely hypnotized by his strikingly handsome face. He had prominent cheekbones and piercing blue-green eyes that were, at the moment, staring into her own. His short, dirty blond hair was a mess of waves, and Caroline felt herself fighting a strange urge to run her fingers through them.

"You again," she managed to say, surprised when her voice came out sounding completely normal. What was it about this man that made her react this way? She'd only seen him twice, now, and didn't know a thing about him.

He chuckled. "I couldn't stand to watch you shivering, love." The way he said _love_, in that British accent of his, actually _made_ her shiver, but she didn't dare point that out to him.

She wrapped the coat more tightly around herself. "Thanks," she said quietly. "I'm Caroline, by the way," she added, almost as an afterthought. "Caroline Forbes." She laughed self-consciously. "I probably should have mentioned that before. Maybe after I rudely ran into you." She shook her head. "My mother says my manners leave much to be desired."

The man laughed at this. "Manners are overrated," he said. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Caroline. I'm Klaus Mikaelson."

###

**A/N: Hope you liked the second chapter! I tried to make it a little longer than the first one. Going for slow plot development because I want this to be a lengthier fic, but at the same time, the **_**Titanic**_**'s voyage was only 5 days long. Not a lot to work with! And there will be lots more Klaus in the next chapter, I promise. Thanks for reading!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: **_**The Vampire Diaries**_** and all characters are the property of their creators. I own nothing (except for this plot line in which I have placed them). Just trying to show my appreciation for and spread my word about this fantastic show.**

**A/N: The reviews, favourites, and follows keep coming! Thanks so much, everyone! I'm really glad you're enjoying this story. Happy reading! :)**

Earlier that day, Klaus and Rebekah had joined the other passengers on deck to watch the launch of the ship. While Klaus had been truly amazed at the sight and grandeur of the event he was witnessing, a quick glance at his sister made it clear to him that she was unimpressed. Instead of looking at the large crowd gathered below, she was glancing around at the crowd gathered on deck, a bloodthirsty look in her eyes as she was no doubt taking him up on his offer to select their dinner.

As the boat began moving, Klaus followed his sister's gaze until his eyes fell on the woman who had run into him this morning. She seemed unsteady, and a man was standing behind her, holding on to her waist to keep her in place. There was an older woman standing with the pair, with the same golden hair as the girl, leading him to believe that she must be her mother.

Klaus took the time to study the young woman, being in the unique situation of being able to watch her without her noticing. Her hair fell in gentle waves just past her shoulders, the glint of the sunlight making it almost glow. She was tall and held herself well, unlike some women who purposely tried to make themselves look small and meek. There was nothing meek about this woman; Klaus could sense a hidden strength about her, and he found it extremely attractive.

_She's only human_, he reminded himself, but then again, that did not stop her from being beautiful.

"Enjoying the view, Nik?" Rebekah asked suddenly, startling him. He turned around to face his sister.

"Immeasurably so," he answered.

"I choose her," she said, her gaze still focused on her brother.

He tilted his head. "I'm afraid I don't understand."

"I choose her," she repeated, enunciating each syllable, "for us to feed on."

Klaus laughed, trying to sound dismissive when he said, "No."

Rebekah narrowed her eyes. "Why? Because she's _pretty_?" Her tone was mocking. "That's never stopped you before."

Klaus clenched his jaw and grabbed his sister by the wrist, pulling her closer. "I said no, little sister. And that's never stopped _you_ before. But a dagger has never failed."

He saw the hurt in her eyes but didn't care. She jerked her arm away from him and he let her go, allowing her to walk away and disappear into the crowd.

He looked for the woman again, just to be certain his sister didn't do something stupid. But she had disappeared as well. Sighing, Klaus saw no other choice but to head back to his suite, which he hoped was where Rebekah had gone, as well.

###

Sure enough, when he arrived back at his rooms Rebekah was there, lounging on the sofa with her head resting on one arm and her legs dangling off of the other. "Good," he said upon seeing her, closing the door behind him. "You're here."

She glanced over at him without moving her head, and then went back to staring at the ceiling.

"You can't just go feeding from the first class, Rebekah. You should know that. Things get . . . messy."

Rebekah sat up, planting her feet on the floor once again. "I," she said, quietly but fiercely, "am all you have. Finn, Elijah, Kol . . . none of them are here. It's just me."

He had heard this speech before; she brought it out at least once per month, if he was lucky. "I only ask for your obedience. I'm looking out for you. We are stuck on this ship for the next week, so we have to be just a _little_ more subtle than killing off socialites and heiresses. Alright?"

Of course, compelling people was always an option. But with large crowds, it became tedious, and often killing became a shortcut for achieving silence. With more killings, of course, came a greater need for compulsion, and . . . well, someone would have to have answers if the ship arrived in New York missing half of its passengers.

Rebekah sighed loudly. "Oh, alright." She always came around, partly because he was usually right, and partly because his threats truly scared her.

"You are, of course, more than welcome to select a lowly third class passenger. Just try to be discrete, hmm?"

She gave him a confused look as she stood up. "Discretion's my specialty, Nik," she said, and then she grinned at him, walking past him toward her bedroom. "You should know that by now."

###

They waited until late evening to feed, by which time the chill off of the North Atlantic had driven most of the human passengers inside. The only prying eyes were those of the lookout in the crow's nest. Klaus ascended it quickly and compelled the young officer. "Pay no mind to anything you see on deck this evening."

The man blinked. "Alright."

Klaus jumped back on deck and joined his sister, who was scanning the area. Her eyes landed on a young man, dressed rather shabbily, leaning over the rails and smoking a cigarette. "Him?" she asked.

Klaus shrugged. "Suits me fine."

In an instant, they were by the man, Klaus on his left, Rebekah on his right. Startled, the man dropped his cigarette. Too quiet for human ears, Klaus heard it touch the water. When the shock wore off, he would start to scream; Klaus knew that from experience. "Rebekah? Would you care to do the honours?"

Without responding, she grabbed the man's arm and jerked him so that he was facing her. "Keep still and be quiet," she said. She got straight to the point, and then she went straight for the neck.

After about thirty seconds of watching his sister feed, Klaus was growing impatient. "Come on, Rebekah. Remember to share."

She raised her head and grinned at him, her mouth and surrounding area covered in the blood of their victim. She shoved the man's still body at him and then wiped the back of her hand against her face. "Be my guest," she said, before wandering back in the direction they had come. He hoped she didn't get into too much trouble on the way back.

Klaus drank his fill and then disposed of the body overboard—that was most definitely a convenience of traveling by ship. He wasn't ready to retire indoors right yet, so he began to walk toward the bow of the ship.

That's when he spotted the woman, again. She was shivering in the evening breeze, wearing nothing but a thin shawl and a gown. He could see the puffs of hot air leaving her mouth with every breath she exhaled, and the rapid movements of her body as she shivered.

As he moved silently toward her, he took off his jacket, holding it out in front of him until he was right behind her. Then, he placed it carefully over her shoulders.

She turned around immediately, looking just as flustered as she had earlier today when she had run into him. Oddly enough, when the initial shock faded, he noticed a look of relief pass over her face, instead. Maybe it was somehow comforting to her that the man who had given her his jacket was someone she at least recognized, even if he was still technically a complete stranger.

"You again," was the first thing she said, and it made him laugh. She was hardly the typical first-class woman, if this was the way she addressed a strange man.

"I couldn't stand to watch you shivering, love," he said, and were he not what he was, he may not have noticed the small reaction she had when he uttered the word _love_. He was glad to have noticed it, though. It was wondrous to see the effect he was having on this woman.

It was confusing to see the effect she was having on him.

She clutched the jacket and brought it closer to her body. "Thanks," she said, nearly too quietly for human ears to perceive. "I'm Caroline, by the way," she said, almost as though she did not think he would truly care. "Caroline Forbes." She gave a small, uncertain laugh. "I probably should have mentioned that before. Maybe after I rudely ran into you." She shook her head slightly. "My mother says my manners leave much to be desired."

He laughed again, only because he had been thinking the same thing just moments ago. Still, he found this attitude of hers refreshing. "Manners are overrated," he said. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Caroline. I'm Klaus Mikaelson."

"Klaus," she repeated, as though testing how it would sound coming from her mouth (beautiful, like his name was a drop of rain falling on the sand of an arid desert). She held her hand out to him, and he stared at it, too long. "They may be overrated, but they have their uses every once in a while."

Klaus smiled, again fascinated at the candidness of this human girl. "I suppose they do," he said, taking her hand in his. It was cold on the surface, but he could feel the warm blood pumping through her veins, her pulse slightly elevated. His smile grew wider knowing that he was the likely cause of that particular fact.

After he released her hand, they stood in silence for a moment. Part of that moment she spent looking at him expectantly, but then she just looked away and stared at the ground.

"So, Caroline," he said finally. "What brings you aboard the _Titanic_?"

"Returning home," she answered, "after a trip abroad with my mother and my . . . fiancé." She said the last word hesitantly. Klaus was not surprised to hear it; he had, after all, seen her with a man earlier that day. Still, he would be lying to say he wasn't disappointed.

"I don't mean to be presumptuous," Klaus said, "but you don't sound too overjoyed about your impending nuptials."

"Oh, no, it's not that," Caroline said.

He raised his eyebrows at her. "No?"

She looked up at him and seemed to contemplate how much she wanted to reveal to him, this man she had only just met. Finally, she scrunched her face up. "Is it really that obvious?"

"Only a little," Klaus assured her, and she laughed.

"I shouldn't be telling you this," she said. "I don't even know you. And it doesn't matter, anyway. We'll be married in less than three weeks, and then. . . ." She shrugged her shoulders, made pointy by his oversized jacket. "That's that."

He moved to lean against the rails, beside her. "Well, it doesn't have to be. It's not too late to back out."

Caroline scoffed, as though that was the most ridiculous suggestion she had ever heard. "And have my mother disown me? I don't think so. Enough about me. I'm boring." He didn't think so, and he hated that she felt that way about herself. "What about you? You sound European to me. What brings you to America?"

"I plan to spend some time in New York," he told her, "but my final destination is New Orleans."

Her eyes lit up at the mention of the Louisiana town. "New Orleans," she breathed. "Wow."

"As you guessed, Europe is where I am from, but New Orleans will always have a special place in my heart. Have you been?"

"What?" she asked, again as though he had suggested something completely outside the realm of possibility. "Oh, no. This trip to England was actually my first time being outside of Mystic Falls, Virginia, where I'm from. I _have_ always wanted to travel, though."

"Ah, the soul of a wanderer," Klaus said thoughtfully. "That's all the information I need to know that you are completely wrong, Caroline."

She stared at him, confused. "Wrong about what?"

"Yourself," he answered simply. "You aren't boring. Your life is. You long for adventure, you crave excitement."

As Caroline seemed to consider this, a small smile appeared on her face. Klaus couldn't help but mirror it. She opened her mouth to say something, but then another voice rang out, stopping her.

"That's not fair, Nik," Rebekah said, loud enough for even Caroline to hear. They both turned to face her, and she cleared the space separating her from them in an instant. Klaus saw, to his horror, that her face was still covered in blood. She looked right at Caroline when she added, "You said the first-class passengers were off-limits."

###

**A/N: Thanks again for reading, everyone! Hope you enjoyed Chapter 3. **


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: **_**The Vampire Diaries**_** and all characters are the property of their owners. I make no profit from writing this. **

**A/N: Sorry it's been a while since the last update! School work has been just **_**crazy**_**! Enjoy!**

The first thing Caroline noticed about the woman standing in front of her was the blood on her face, around her mouth. Perhaps even worse, when she grinned, her teeth were stained red, as well. Caroline barely had enough time to notice this before she screamed.

She bolted, running as fast as she could away from the woman, but before Caroline had gotten very far, she appeared in front of her again, inhumanly fast. Caroline gasped as the woman made to lunge for her, but suddenly Klaus was there, which would have been a relief, only he had moved just as impossibly fast.

And he was stabbing the woman in the chest with what looked to Caroline like some sort of antique letter-opener.

Caroline screamed again, but Klaus stared the woman down as she gasped. "I warned you, little sister," he said, and Caroline was even more disturbed at the revelation of their relationship. He released the blade but let it remain in his sister's chest as she slouched to the ground.

Then he turned his focus to Caroline.

It was like she had forgotten how to breathe. Just minutes ago, she had been having the most open conversation she had ever had with a man. She had been allowing herself to trust him, even though she hardly knew him. He had seen something in her that she normally could not see in herself.

But it was all a lie. He was a monster. He killed his own sister.

He reached toward her and grabbed her shoulders in his hands. She turned her head away from him, whimpering. "No, no, no."

Klaus took her chin in his hand and forced him to look at her, although his touch was still gentle. He stared into her eyes and said, in an extremely calm voice, "Go back to your suite, Caroline, and forget all of this. You were out for some fresh air, but you saw no one."

Caroline blinked at him. "_Forget?_" she asked, her panic making way for astonishment, if only for a moment. "She was covered in blood. And then you _killed_ her. And you expect me to just go back to my rooms and forget?" She struggled in his grasp, but his grip did not weaken any. "Let me _go!_"

He was staring at her with even more intensity now, his eyes narrowing in confusion. "How?" he asked quietly, tilting his head to the side. She could tell that the question was directed more at himself than at her.

Still, she asked, "How _what_?"

He ignored her. His eyes drifted from her face to her neck, and then to her chest before they locked on. He reached a hand toward his target, and before Caroline could protest his extremely inappropriate behaviour, his hand touched her necklace.

His face changed ever so slightly when his skin made contact with the diamond. "Where did you get this?" he asked.

Despite her fear, Caroline reached out and snatched back the pendant. "My fiancé gave it to me."

Klaus frowned. "Clever man, your fiancé," he mused, although he did not look all that impressed. "Thanks to him, you cannot be compelled. Do you know what I typically do to those I am unable to compel?"

Caroline assumed the question was rhetorical, but she needed clarification. "What do you mean by compel?"

He ignored her. "Typically, I kill them." He reached out toward her, and Caroline became even more frightened for her life. He surprised her by stroking her cheek lightly with the back of his index and middle fingers. "But I cannot bring myself to kill you, Caroline," he said, removing his hand. The breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding escaped her in a sigh of relief.

He turned away from her and bent down to pick up his lifeless sister from the deck. It seemed to take him no effort to hoist her body over his shoulder. Looking back at Caroline, he said, "Go to bed, now, love. And do try not to tell anyone what you saw. After all, you have no proof, and I find that men are typically rather disinclined to believe the ramblings of a young lady. Good evening."

He disappeared, then, in a blur of motion. Caroline blinked. It was as if he had never been there in the first place. But she knew what she had seen.

His sister's face and the inside of her mouth had been covered in blood, as though she had been _drinking_ it. And then he had _stabbed her_ in the chest, right in front of Caroline. She had watched someone _die_. Caroline brought her hand to her forehead, trying to control the spinning. Though it was chilly out on deck, she suddenly felt very warm.

As she started back toward her rooms, Caroline thought more on what she found was the strangest thing to have happened all evening: the way that Klaus had told her to forget everything. He had said it with such conviction, as though he had truly expected her to just forget the horrific events she had witnessed and go back to her rooms without the faintest memory of them.

And then he had touched her necklace. She reached for it now herself. In ways she did not yet understand, the necklace had saved her tonight. From what, she wasn't sure. Perhaps she would thank Tyler in the morning.

But of course, she wouldn't. Klaus's warning had contained more truth than she would have liked. She knew that Tyler would not believe her. He would try to brush it off as her being tired, or her gown being too tight.

Caroline could barely walk straight, she was so shaken by what had happened. Still, she managed to find her rooms, and was relieved to notice that her mother had already gone to bed. She didn't want to speak with her about her dinner with Tyler, because she just didn't feel she had the energy to do so.

In her own bedroom, she stripped out of her gown and removed her necklace, placing it carefully on the surface of her vanity. Her gaze lingered on it as she changed into a nightgown. She didn't know what it was about that necklace that had helped her tonight, but there was someone—besides her fiancé—who would.

And tomorrow, if she could muster up enough courage, she was going to ask him.

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**A/N: Hope you enjoyed Chapter 4! Thanks so much for taking the time to read/review/favourite/follow! The responses I've received to this story mean so much, really! It is a pleasure to write for such an awesome group of Klaroline fans! Hopefully I'll be able to update sooner than later.**


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